Thursday, May 31, 2018 • 7:10 p.m.
Citi Field • Flushing, N.Y.
LHP José Quintana (5-4, 4.78) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (1-1, 2.48)
SNY • WOR 710 AM • 104.3 WAXQ-FM HD 2 • ESPN 1050
What an improbable three days for the Mets. There’s a glass half full way of looking at the last couple of days and then there is the “typical Mets way of looking at things” also known as glass half empty way. The Mets split the series with the first place Braves! They could have easily won the two games they lost. They won the two games they had no business winning (one without a starter and the other with Jason Vargas). The Mets suffered several injuries to critical players. At least two of the injuries may not be that bad. There was a fire at Citi Field.
It’s been a week Mets fans, let’s go play four games with the Cubs!
Mets Lineup
- Brandon Nimmo – RF
- Asdrubal Cabrera – 2B
- Jose Bautista – LF
- Michael Conforto – CF
- Devin Mesoraco – C
- Jay Bruce – 1B
- Amed Rosario – SS
- Luis Guillorme – 3B
- Seth Lugo – RHP
Cubs Lineup
- Ben Zobrist – 2B
- Jason Heyward – RF
- Kris Bryant – 3B
- Anthony Rizzo – 1B
- Willson Contreras – C
- Javier Baez – SS
- Kyle Schwarber – LF
- Ian Happ – CF
- Jose Quintana – LHP
Seth Lugo makes a return to the rotation tonight for the ailing Mets. He is 1-1 over 20 games this year logging 32.2 innings with a 2.48 ERA, 3.24 FIP, 1.010 WHIP and 153 ERA+. He dominated in his relieving role this year and is being rewarded for it. Maybe he plays with a chip on his shoulder for being sent to the bullpen in the first place? Maybe he plays with a chip on his shoulder for taking the loss a few nights ago? He made a start against the Cubs last September and it was terrible, probably his worst start of the year. Maybe he plays with a chip on his shoulder about that? In that start he allowed 8 runs, 7 earned over 3.0 innings from 9 hits and a walk. The Cubs have the following numbers against Lugo:
- Bryant 1-5, 2B
- Baez 2-4
- Rizzo 2-4, HR
- Heyward 1-3
- Almora 0-2
- Schwarber 2-2, 2B
The Mets bats will try to keep waking up against Jose Quintana who is 5-4 over 10 starts and 52.2 innings with a 4.78 ERA, 4.69 FIP, 1.481 WHIP and 85 ERA+. His WHIP is over 200 points higher than his career numbers, which is indicative of the type of season he has been having. In his last three starts, he has had two terrible starts (4.2 IP 6 ER and 4.1 IP 4 ER) sandwiched around a brilliant 7.0 innings of 1 hit baseball against the Reds. He faced the Mets last September and allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and a walk in 7.0 innings). The Mets have the following numbers against Quintana:
- Cabrera 6-25, 2B, BB, 7 K
- Bautista 2-22, 2 HR, 8 K
- Reyes 4-11, 2B
- Gonzalez 2-6
- Rosario 1-3
- Mesoraco 0-1
Mets on the 10-Day DL against Quintana:
- Cespedes 10-18, 2 2B, 3B, 4 HR, 10 RBI, BB
- Flores 1-3, 2B
Game Notes
MLB has made a scoring change to the May 29 game at Atlanta. Luis Guillorme will be credited with a ninth-inning stolen base. It had originally been scored defensive indifference. It’s Guillorme’s first major league stolen base.
The Mets are 17-9 (.654) in Lugo’s 26 career starts. According to Elias, that is tied for the best team winning percentage through 26 starts for any pitcher who made his first 26 career starts with the Mets. New York also went 17-9 in Dwight Gooden‘s and Dillon Gee‘s first 26-career starts.
Asdrubal Cabrera leads the Mets in home runs (10), RBI (34) and batting average (.307). He is one of four players leading his team in all three triple crown categories. Along with Brandon Belt of the Giants, Manny Machado of the Orioles and Eddie Rosario of the Twins. Courtesy of Elias.
Let’s Go Mets!
